Westport Winery Creates Wave of Hope

Kim Roberts and Jeff Kramer the Vice President of Resource Development from Mercy Ships.
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Submitted by Westport Winery

Kim Roberts and Jeff Kramer the Vice President of Resource Development from Mercy Ships.
Kim Roberts and Jeff Kramer the Vice President of Resource Development from Mercy Ships.

As part of their outdoor sculpture garden Westport Winery has commissioned four new sculptures to commemorate their recently launched line of hard apple ciders benefitting Mercy Ships. All of these sculptures will be installed in the winery’s new Inspiration Garden. The four ciders are named Mercy, Courage, Grace and Hope. This new one acre garden will include many of the Roberts favorite inspirational quotes from such divergent sources as Emerson and Thoreau to Robert Heinlein and Dr. Seuss.

The first sculpture was designed by winery co-owner Kim Roberts and is titled Wave of Hope. “I wanted to create our own version of Tibetan prayer flags in front of our Dune Garden to resemble a breaking wave. We’ve woven high tensile wire through posts to form a modern take on the traditional waddle fence. At our August Aloha Festival we will ask our guests to write their messages of hope on ribbons we’re providing and then have guests tie them on the wire.”

This is not the first interactive sculpture in the winery’s extensive gardens. Last summer a musical fence was installed within their one acre grape maze. It is one of the many features that make this winery a unique destination for all ages.

The Roberts family has commissioned Elma artist Frank Ratte to create a sculpture for Courage, their apple and sweet dark cherry cider. Ratte, who owns Say It Westport Winery CiderWith Cement, has created two other sculptures in concrete for them previously. He first did Night Watch several years ago which is located within the Dune Garden. Last year he designed a Buddha for their Japanese Zen Garden.

North River artist, Sherryl Jackson, was asked to design the Mercy sculpture. Jackson, whose first piece called “Love” is located in the winery’s lavender labyrinth. Her second contribution to the public art display is “The Kiss” in the Formal French garden. She also created a garden cyclist with her Newfoundland in the English Cottage garden.

Jeffro Uitto of Tokeland has been asked to create the Grace sculpture. Uitto has contributed several pieces to the estate previously including a giant clam for Dawn Patrol in homage to the long gone Dunes Restaurant. He also replicated the guitar Kurt Cobain designed for Fender to commemorate the wine called Nirvana. He carved a self-portrait tiki for the Tropical Hawaiian Garden. And he carved the giant Wizard Chess Set in the Knot Garden.

The garden itself will be divided into eight segments with each dedicated to one of the winery’s Eastern Washington vineyards. A traditional Indian Medicine Wheel will be the centerpiece for the garden utilizing rocks from the various vineyards. The Roberts family have enlisted their friend and Cowlitz spiritual leader Roy Wilson to design the medicine wheel.

Tail Grace FrontThe winery’s gardens are open to all ages (and dogs on leash). It is free to tour the gardens. According to Kim Roberts, “We want to develop our gardens to become a destination of distinction similar to Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. We have a very similar climate and we are easily accessible to those from Seattle and Portland, not to mention visitors from other areas.”

Westport Winery and Vineyards By-the-Sea Gardens with the unique sculpture garden, lavender labyrinth, musical fence, 9-hole executive golf course, giant chess set, outdoor scrabble game, and grape maze, is located on the corner of Highway 105 and South Arbor Road halfway between Aberdeen and Westport. Westport Winery was named Best of the Northwest Wine Tour in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Westport’s award-winning wines are exclusively available at the winery. The tasting room, gift shop, produce market, plant nursery and bakery are open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The restaurant is open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for dinner on Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information contact Westport Winery at 360-648-2224 or visit the website atwww.westportwinery.com.

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